MOROCCAN CARROT SALAD: INSPIRED BY A BUNNY

Friday, May 6, 2011

Serves 4-6

There is an old woman in my neighborhood known as The Bunny Lady. Her house is a home for lost and wayward bunnies and their feral offspring. No one quite knows how it all began, but word has spread and now plenty of unwanted rabbits somehow find their way to her as well. As long as the pack accepts the new bunny, he/she is welcome. The Bunny Lady feeds them all. They live under the pier and beam foundation of her 1940s cottage and freely roam the neighbors’ yards supplementing their diets by foraging on newly planted landscapes. From all reports, they are tolerated because they are pretty darned cute.

A couple of months ago, two escaped domestic rabbits were roaming our street. Everyone and their children came out to help capture them. Not since the last hurricane have I seen my street come together like that. Using a fishing net and a dog crate, my daughter managed to capture just one. The idea, of course, was to take the rabbit directly to the Bunny Lady. The children wouldn’t hear of it. As we all know, there is no such thing as a free lunch. We fenced-in my herb garden; we got her a proper hutch; and we treat her like the bunny queen. She returns the favor by excavating the garden with trenches and tunnels and by inviting every squirrel from every tree to come into the yard to share in the spoils of our foolishness. But, hey, the children love her.

What the bunny loves is carrots. We buy them at Costco in five pound bags. Aside from the rabbit, most of the rest of us like carrots too. Every time I open the fridge, there they are. It has kind of been inspiring, so I have been experimenting. My latest and greatest dish on the table is carrot salad. Raw grated or shredded carrots with salt, pepper, and vinaigrette is delicious, but it is lovely to vary the taste with herbs and spices. I like this recipe in particular. Coriander, cumin, cayenne pepper, and a touch of sugar is an exotic combination that takes the salad up a notch or two.

Note: If you are serving small or picky children, go easy on the cumin (1 tsp) and cut the cayenne pepper.

Note: You may be thinking about how easy it would be to buy shredded carrots at the store. I do not recommend them. They don’t taste fresh. It takes 5 minutes with a food processor to shred carrots yourself.

8-9 large carrots, about 1 lb, shredded or grated

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 1/4 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

1/2 tsp sugar

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

3-4 Tbsp cilantro or flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1. TOSS: Place carrots in a large mixing bowl. In a measuring cup, whisk together lemon juice and olive oil. In a small prep bowl, combine the spices and sugar. Toss spices into the carrots and stir until combined. Add vinaigrette and toss until mixture looks coated. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss in the cilantro and parsley and stir until combined.

2. REFRIGERATE: This salad needs time to reach its full potential. Place the bowl in the refrigerator, covered with some foil. It needs to marinate at least 4-6 hours; overnight is even better.

3. SERVE: This salad can be served as a perky side dish to roast chicken, lamb chops, burgers….you get the picture. It goes with everything.